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4d ago

Trump Says U.S. Captured Venezuela’s Maduro in Overnight Strikes, Setting Off Capitol Clash

Democrats vow War Powers action over what they call an illegal, unilateral strike conducted without required notification.

Fire at Fuerte Tiuna, Venezuela's largest military complex, is seen from a distance after a series of explosions in Caracas on January 3, 2026. The United States military was behind a series of strikes against the Venezuelan capital Caracas on Saturday.
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Pedestrians walk past destroyed containers lay at La Guaira port after explosions were heard in Venezuela, Saturday, Jan. 3, 2026.
Presidential guard troops stand outside the Miraflores presidential palace in Caracas, Venezuela, Saturday, Jan. 3, 2026, after U.S. President Donald Trump announced that President Nicolás Maduro had been captured and flown out of the country. (AP Photo/Matias Delacroix)

Overview

  • Trump announced U.S. forces carried out large-scale strikes and seized Nicolás Maduro and Cilia Flores, with plans to bring them to New York for prosecution.
  • Attorney General Pam Bondi said the pair face U.S. charges including narco‑terrorism, cocaine importation conspiracy, and weapons offenses.
  • Congressional leaders said they were not briefed beforehand, and Sen. Tim Kaine signaled a Senate vote next week to constrain presidential war powers.
  • Republicans largely praised the operation as enforcing indictments and disrupting narco‑trafficking, though some GOP lawmakers questioned its legality and scope.
  • Unresolved questions include potential casualties, any follow-on military actions, and who holds effective control of Venezuelan institutions after the raid.